Water Quality Parameters to Characterize Catchment

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What water quality parameters do I need to measure in order to adequately characterize a catchment?

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11 Answers

  2. Dear Nicole,

    a number of the parameters suggested by Zaid would be useful to measure, but you have first to identify the type of pressures in the catchment, particularly the industrial ones (for agricultural pressures Zaid provided sufficient parameters) in order to define any additional organic and inorganic micropollutants to be measured. You will certainly need to investigate both surface and ground waters in terms of their seasonal hydrological interactions and proceed then to chemical analyses. An alternative in carrying out many expensive measurements would be to apply toxicological tests and/or investigate the response of biota in your catchment (e.g. benthic macroinvertebrates, diatoms, fish) which mirrors long-term impacts.

  3. I think it will be easy for you to choose the right parameters.  The hard part is to determine the  number of samples and how to deal with the hydrologic variability, such as rainfall depth, intensity, antecedent conditions, basin geometry, etc.    Many use models such as SWMM to model the catchment and calibrate it with the desired water quality parameters.      I think this is where your challenge will be.

  4. Some suggestions to monitor catchment processes - total suspended solids (sediment export), electrical conductivity or anions/cations (salinization), nitrogen and phosphorus (nutrient cycles) and organic carbon (organic matter).

  5. Based on your data provided about the landuse within the catchment area,  it's easier now too identify the parameters you have to measure, in this regard I would suggest the following :

    Total pesticide (types determined based on quick survey with the agricultural sectors in the catchment area), total organic carbon, total hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pharmateculars,  total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate, fecal coliform and total coliform, acidity, bod5, cod, pesticides and fungicides 

    In case the purpose of infiltration or groundwater recharge, you have to identify the type of aquifers and its vulnerability , bed rocks and aquifers characteristics and it's chemistry 

  6. Following parameters for Water Quality Parameters to Characterize Catchment

    1. Acidity.
    2. Alkalinity.
    3. BOD.
    4. CBOD
    5. COD.
    6. Conductivity.
    7. Dissolved Oxygen.
    8. Fecal Coliform.
    9. Hardness.
    10. Metals.
    11. Nitrogen
    12. Phosphorus.
    13. pH.
    14. Solids, Total.
    15. Temperature.
    16. Turbidity

     

     

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  7. Thank you for all your answers. To give you a bit of background, I am working in a relatively large pre-alpine catchment (~2000 Km2) with predominantly agricultural landuse in the upper reaches of the catchment , and urban as well as industrial landuse types in the lower reaches. I am trying to find out whether there is any best practice protocol, paper, etc. for ground and surface water quality parameters which should be measured in order to characterize and monitor the catchment processes. There are plans to rehabilitate certain sections of the primary river to improve groundwater infiltration, but otherwise its "business as usual. Thanks in advance for all your responses.

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  8. Hi Nicole, It does depend on what you want to characterise. Electrical conductivity is a good parameter for knowing overall "reactivity" of your catchment. Crystalline basement usually have low EC values (

  9. I guess it depends on what aspects of water quality you are interested in. But nutrients, pesticides and sediments related parameters like TDS, TSS cuts accross.

  10. Dear Nicole,

    I would suggest you to do physical parameters to check such as pH, Hardness, alkalinity, etc. However, if your work is defined you may go for other parameters including metals concentrations, microbial contamination (if any region wise). You can further use GIS data /resources for studies. 

    Regards.

  11. Could you please explain the purpose of your study? The water quality parameters to be used depend on several aspects, e.g. is your catchment characterized "at risk"?, is it part of a NATURA site? are there any protection or restoration measures required? or it is sufficient to maintain "business as usual"?

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    1. Thank you for ​your ​answers. To ​give you a bit ​of background, ​I am working in ​a relatively ​large pre-​alpine ​catchment (~​2000 Km2) with ​predominantly ​agricultural ​landuse in the ​upper reaches ​of the ​catchment , and ​urban as well ​as industrial ​landuse types ​in the lower ​reaches. I am ​trying to find ​out whether ​there is any ​best practice ​protocol, paper,​ etc. for ​ground and ​surface water ​quality ​parameters ​which should be ​measured in ​order to ​characterize ​and monitor the ​catchment ​processes. ​There are plans ​to rehabilitate ​certain ​sections of the ​primary river ​to improve ​groundwater ​infiltration, ​but otherwise ​its "business ​as usual. ​

      1 Comment reply